An Empty Shell
by DarkraiTheFrisoner
Summary: AU. A world where Robin never belonged to the heroes community but stood among the villains. A world where Robin never got adopted by Batman but fell into the clutch of a sadistic villain - Deathstroke. How would it play out when Robin, determined to bring destruction to the team, crossed path with the Titans?
1. Chapter 1

Summary: AU. A world where Robin never belonged to the heroes community but stood among the villains. A world where Robin never got adopted by Batman but fell into the clutch of a sadistic villain - Deathstroke. How would it play out when Robin, determined to bring destruction to the team, crossed path with the Titans?

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><p>AN: First and foremost, I need to notice you that there will be some slight alternations to the team's members. The original five would be Raven, Starfire, Cyborg, Beast Boy and Terra, with Cyborg being the leader.

Disclaimer: I don't own the Teen Titans. This one is written out of pure entertainment, no profit intended.

_I wanna heal, I wanna feel_

_What I thought was never real_

_I wanna let go of the pain I felt so long_

_(Erase all the pain 'til it's gone)_

_I wanna heal, I wanna feel_

_Like I'm close to something real_

_I wanna find something I wanted all along_

_Somewhere I belong_

_**(Likin Park, Somewhere I belong)**_

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><p>It was the anniversary marking the one - year milestone in the foundation of the Teen Titans. Jump City had finally been at peace after such a long time dwelling in crimes and darkness. The city was particularly wiped clean of villains and offenders. It would be quite an understatement to say that the Titans had done a splendid job. As a matter of fact, they had fulfilled their roles so satisfactorily that in order to show their immense gratitude, the City Mayor and its citizens had decided to throw a thank – you sort of party for the Titans. They even came to an agreement that they would make the day when the Titans were formed to be a Teen Titans day.<p>

"...There would be no appropriate words to describe our appreciation for your efforts in protecting this city. Had it not been for you, this city would be bound to sinking deeper and deeper in darkness. A tragic ending of becoming like Gotham would be then, quite unavoidable and irrefutable. We dare say..."

Up in the front seat, along with his fellow Titans, Beast Boy had to try his best not to yawn and nod off. The celebration so far had been quite dull and boring, with the lengthy speech and all. He was expecting a crazy party in which everybody would be dancing, singing and eating 'til they went sick, not this boring type of celebration. It was too formal for his taste. However, as Raven had put it, he was in no position to pick and choose, that this was _more than they could ever hope for. _

Cyborg, clearly noticing his teammate's dampened enthusiasm, elbowed Beast Boy slightly in the hip and whispered.

"It's gonna be over before you even realize this, just you wait. Then, you and I, we can indulge ourselves in all the best dishes ever."

"All you can eat?" Beast Boy whispered back, his eyes slightly widened in expectations.

"All you can eat." Cyborg confirmed, offering the younger one with a reassuring smile.

Another painful hours had gone by and there was still no sign of the speech's coming to an end. It took every ounce of the team not to fall asleep out of sheer boredom. Their patience was gradually wearing thin. To everyone's great relief, the Mayor seemed to notice this for he quickly finished his dreary speech, skipped a few unnecessary ceremonies and announced it was time for celebration. Soon after, all the guests were present in the dining hall where every delicate and sophisticated food had been prepared. The meal was giving off an inviting smell, which made everyone almost drool.

Beast Boy eyes brightened with excitement.

"Wow, they actually prepared veggie food for me. And I only mentioned it once. I guess I'm such a Mr. Important that they couldn't possibly afford to fail."

He lunged himself towards the table.

"Or maybe they can't afford to let you get a taste of their delicious meats." Teased Cyborg jokingly, loading some spaghetti on his own plate.

Raven eyed Beast Boy's irrational excitement over all the food while having a go with some strange - looking dishes herself. Meanwhile, Terra had been far lost in stuffing as much food as possible in her mouth, spilling some dressing on her dress in the process. Lean and thin as she appeared to be, she was one hell of an eater. It went the same for the Tamaranian princess, who was also cleaning the plates with a godlike speed.

"And I was expecting that some of you would actually have some table manner." Came a cold, monotonous and to some extent, creepy voice from behind the Titans' backs.

They all wiped around to see the owner of the voice and to their astonishment, he turned out to be quite a young boy, barely older than fourteen, though the look on his face belonged to an old man, one that had been through too much to see the bright side of life. The raven crown boy was eyeing them with a mildly disgusted expression. Other than that, his face betrayed no emotions. He was tucking his hands in his pocket, eyeing them with his intelligent, sharp, but at the same time, cold, empty grey eyes and a slight scowl.

Upon having eye contact with him, Raven crouched over and clutched her abdomen. An overwhelming feeling was overtaking her, drowning her with it. Her senses were screaming at her to blow the boy into trillion pieces. She was sweating all over and slightly trembling. No one seemed to notice her though, since they were straining their eyes on the new comer.

"Who gives you the rights to scold us like that, oh Mr. Perfect?" Protested Beast Boy with his mouth still full.

"As a citizen of this city, I have the very rights to fully expect to have a proper, up - to - standards guardians, not a bunch of teenagers who barely have the faintest idea about table manners running around the city like some goons they are."

Terra's eyes twitched uncontrollably, she curled her hands into fists, hardly able to control her annoyance.

"You are supposed to have some respect towards us, kid. Don't bite the hands that feed you. We protect this city, you including."

"Don't let all the praises go to your heads. Being self-important is the first step to inevitable failure. Mark my words Blondie. Or else, you will face your downfall in no time."

The boy rolled his eyes before turning on his heels and left, heading towards a white - haired man with a ridiculous goatee. His interaction with the Titans, brief as it was, made their blood boil with rage.

"What a party pooper. I have completely lost my appetite because of this annoying shrimp." Terra complained, glancing at the raven - haired boy. She made so little efforts hiding her dislike for the boy that one my think see may eat the boy alive if she had been allowed to.

"Forget it. He doesn't seem to have appropriate manners himself, seeing that he just had to throw rude things at our faces. Couldn't come up with a nice thank - you." Cyborg shrugged, popping a piece of beef in his mouth. "Just get the midget out of your head."

Little did he know that their paths would soon cross more than one time. For now, all he could do was to savoir the taste of the delicate dishes from all walks of life and the compliments from those who attended showered upon them.

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><p>"Well?" The white crowned man with the goatee asked, raising an eyebrow in pure amusement.<p>

"I can't believe you would have such great an interest in them that you when through all the troubles to be here yourself, dragging me all along. They are disgusting, they eat like a hog and they even hold a stupid belief that everyone in this stinky city owe them a favor. " Mumbled the grey - eyed boy. He was playing with his mobile phone, a somber expression on his face. He didn't like these people at all, they had no table manners, they thought too highly of themselves, and they called him a _kid, a midget, a shrimp._

"Now now Robin, you don't want to have such a rude attitude towards your new found toys. Don't you? You know that you will be having a lot to do with them in the future."

Robin's scowl deepened, he decided it would be best to completely ignore his Master's question.

"Master Slade, wouldn't it be much faster if we just finish them up?".

Slade gave a halfhearted laugh.

"It would be just too easy on them. Don't you think so dear apprentice? It would be much more funny and entertaining if we play with their minds a little bit before sending them to the hand of Death, ne? Moreover, we have to make the best use of them before they become utterly useless. Don't be so eager to draw blood. You will have a good many of opportunities to do so."

Robin kept his scowl in its place, not giving any particular answer other than a defeated sigh and turned his attention back on his phone.

"Besides, you need practice. Last time you almost blew up. Your skills are a far cry from perfect." Slade added after a few moments of silence.

Robin remained quiet. It was an ugly event, with him almost blowing up their covers. If Master Slade hadn't stepped in the scene and given a helping hand, he would have kicked the bucket for sure. Or worse, he could have been captured by the Justice League - he couldn't allow such luxury of being caught. The event was still very fresh in his mind, haunting him every night, reminding him how much of a loser he had been. Slade even had the '_decency'_ to remind this to him every single day, plus a near death beating. No, the man wouldn't be kind enough to actually kill him, to end his sufferings, he was too valuable an apprentice to be lost. What Slade would do was to 'educate' him further by beating him hours on end, playing mind games with him and brainwashing him until he finally lost his sanity. And lose his sanity Robin did.

Closing his lenses - covered eyes, Robin tried to inhale and exhale slowly, forcing his mind to stop thinking about the haunting images of the deaths of his former "toys" and how defeated he had been. '_Get your mind off things, Robin, you have been thinking too much, give it a rest already.'_

He swore he had tried his best in finishing his job. He never wanted Slade to interfere with his missions, despite the irrefutable fact that it was Slade that appointed him the missions. Slade, that man, had taken Robin in after his parents' brutal deaths, bestowing upon him a privilege of being his apprentice. He had forced into Robin's young, impressionable mind countless methods of how to fight like a true warrior, how to deceive, how to inflict pain on others, how to manipulate. Slade was also the one who had taught him how to never reveal his feelings, for he was such an open book, far too easy to read. It was a tough job for Robin at first, having an abundant of emotion himself, being forced to witness grisly death of many while his mind still had yet to recover from the passing of his parents. It was so agonizing to see all kinds of torture human kind can ever think of. He could hardly manage to conceal his feelings, his horror, his disapproval to Slade's ways of thinking back then. It was way too much for a six years old child to handle. Robin still remembered vividly how he would scream at the top of his lungs, begging his Master to go easy on his victim, or better yet, to let them go, even if it would ultimately result in his very own savage beatings. As the years slowly went by, things started to become considerably easy for him to manage. Now, no one could really tell what exactly was on his mind, not even Slade himself. Robin, having spent years on end to master this particular technique, put his "success" down to the fact that her barely _feel _anymore, that he was as good as an empty shell, left with nothing but numbness. All of his pains, from Robin's perspective, were of his own makings, his very own fault. There was no one to blame but himself. In his childhood years, Robin was scared, terrified of the pain, of the piercing feeling crawling at his own chest, so he willed himself to learn how to stop feeling, to turn a blind eye to everything. It wasn't too long when he eventually came to the harsh realization that the place where his heart once lay nothing but an empty hole.

It was bitter at first to realize that he was truly, undeniably like his Master – both were ruthless, brutal, serious, cocky, and _heartless. _At one point of his life, he had despised, detested being compared to the man. Just the mere mention of their being alike could have made him go blind with boiling , he had come to terms with it, lived with that fact and sometimes, actually felt glad about it. There was no point in going back now, he had gone too far to ever be saved, had stopped praying for the Saving Grace to come. The similarities between them now would function as a bond to help him understand his Master better. Robin was ready more than ever to claim his rightful position of being the heir to Deathstroke the Terminator.

To prove that, he would have to play the Great Game, make himself a piece of the Game, manipulate everyone in it. It meant that he would play with the Titans' hearts and minds until they could no longer tell right from wrong, friends from enemy, heroes from evils. To do that, at first, he had to work himself to the line of the angels, the saints, the goody good heroes he tried best to avoid.

"Let's go apprentice. Looks like our business here is done for the time being. Now you have to prepare yourself mentally and physically for the upcoming task." Slade shot him a meaningful glare "Make sure you don't fail and make me clean up your mess like last time." He left without any further word.

Robin winced, Slade's words had brought back the image of his former _toys'_ deaths to his ill – shaped mind. They were horrifyingly brutal. Though the incident had happened for a few months, he couldn't quite shake himself off of the vivid vision of a blood - soaked girl, who was looking at him in desperation, begging for his help, trusting him even in her very own death, not knowing that she was looking right at Death himself, that Robin was the one that had indirectly inflicted the pain upon her and her teammates.

Now to him, those honey eyes were demanding answers, answers as to why he had betrayed their trust, had let them down when they needed him the most. Those eyes were accusing him of his unforgivable betrayal, accusing him of stabbing their owner in the back.

The the nth time in one day, Robin heaved a heavy sigh. His Master was a good distance ahead of him, still not slowing down to wait for his precious of an apprentice. He knew his boy so well he was sure that the boy would never dare to ever have the idea of running away. Not when he had broken utterly and completely, not when Slade _himself_ had been the one to bend the boy's mind to his liking, not when Slade had brought him to his knees - to his very own submission. He had made sure that Robin's mind was deteriorated to such an extent that there was no going back, no psychiatrist, not even the best one in this entire universe, could ever save him from what he had become. Years of torture, both physically and mentally, had seen through that.

Stuffing the phone back in his pocket, Robin ran after his Master. As he glanced back at the Titans once more, a rigid message echoed in his head, one his Master had taught him long ago.

_"Trust takes time to built, but easy to destroy."_

So build trust with them he would.

Even if it meant, once again, he would hurt others beyond repair.

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><p>AN: Please spare some of your precious time to let me know what you think and whether this is worth continuing or not. Review :)


	2. Chapter 2

_**Disclaimer: I swear I do not own the show.**_

_**A/N: First of all, I want to express my gratitude to all those who have reviewed, followed and favorited this story. You guys made my day xD. All though I'm a little bit disappointed that there aren't much people who seem to be interested in this one. Well, at least, you guys have encouraged me immesurably :). Thanks for your support.**_

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><p><em>It feels like nobody else ever knew me until you knew me<em>

_Feels like nobody else ever loved me until you loved me_

_Feels like nobody else ever touched me until you touched me_

_Baby, nobody, nobody, until you_

_**(Shayne Ward – Until you)**_

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><p>Normally, Raven had a lot of nightmares, even though they were all about the same thing: She helping Trigon - her father, the demon lord, to destroy the entire world. Up until now, she hardly had any different nightmares; they were just all the same, like an old movie being played over and over again in her head every time she went to bed.<p>

However, that night, when she relaxed her aching body on the bed, readying herself for the inevitable to come, she fell into an entirely different dream.

Darkness, what Raven had grown accustomed to, was all that surrounded her. She was well aware of the fact that she was falling deeper and deeper in a bottomless dark pit. Her flying power didn't work, for no matter how hard Raven concentrated to stop the fall, she couldn't. She could not see a thing, either, all her senses went dull as if they were slowly shutting down, failing her, ignoring her command.

The only thing that let her know she wasn't dead was her telepathic power, which was surprisingly still working. She could sense the solidarity, the anger, the numbness, the agonizing pain, the emptiness, the melancholy, the sheer depression surrounding her. So strong were the emotions that Raven almost cried out from overwhelming pain - she couldn't stand so many an emotions at the same time, especially ones that strong. She was sure she would suffocate to death when a blaring alarm forced her up, covered in cold sweat.

Reluctantly, Raven reached for her communicator, just in time to see Cyborg's serious face popping up on the screen.

"Titans, troubles."

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><p>The Titans made a dash for the abandoned warehouse, where the trouble was reported to be taking place, only to be witness to an epic battle.<p>

A boy, they couldn't know tell who exactly since his back was facing them, was fighting against a bunch of armed - to - the - teeth men. Judging from their similar outfit - all covered in black and dark orange, accompanied by a weird mask, the Titans assumed that they were all in the same organization.

The boy, it seemed, was completely on his own against the thugs. He looked quite young, but he was even more heavily armed than a fully grown military soldier. Dressing in an all - black Kevlar suit, black boots with steel - covered tops and a domino mask, he appeared to be quite intimidating, especially with his master use of varied weapons.

Nobody moved a muscle to help the stranger though, for they couldn't tell whether he was on their side or not. Hence, instead of lending him a hand, they, save for Raven, all stared in awe at the fighting scene in front of them. Despite being incredibly small, the young man was knocking down the gang members with relative ease. In fact, it seemed like he was barely making effort. He flung back and forth gracefully, but at the same time demonstrated a wicked combat ability. In no more than five minutes, he had defeated the entire gang single handedly and hardly broke a sweat.

"That was so coollll" Beast Boy exclaimed, throwing his hands up in the air and rushed towards the winner. "Can I have your autograph?" So hasty was Beast Boy that he tripped over and fell right over the stranger.

The raven haired teenager jerked his head behind and widened his eyes. He let out a small yelp as Beast Boy flung towards him, crushing him down on the ground in the process.

"Uh sorry" The changeling sheepishly got up to his feet and offered his victim a hand, only to be brushed off by him.

"I don't need your pathetic help." He stood up on his own and dusted himself off.

"Hey, that is so rude of you; he was only trying to be friendly." Scoffed Cyborg. No matter how amazing a soldier this new one was, nobody messed up with his siblings, especially Beast Boy.

The young man's cold gaze slowly fell upon Cyborg. His stoic face was forming a grimace when Raven, who was trembling slightly, exclaimed.

"You. The kid from the other day." Raven mentally winced as her voice didn't come out as monotonous as it always had been, but rather weak and ill. She had been suffering from ill – feelings whenever she was near the kid.

"Huh, you have met him before?" Terra asked with disbelief, her finger pointed accusingly at the one in question.

"We all have." Raven huffed. "He was the one to comment about our table manners back at..."

She didn't have the chance to finish her sentence as she was cut off by Cyborg, also realizing that himself.

"I remember it. The grey - eyed one. How can I forget such a impolite person. Soooo, you are a crusade yourself too or are you playing dress - up. Cause I'm telling you kid, it ain't Halloween yet. Don't be running around in that outfit in our city."

"First of all, I have a name myself and I'm not a kid. Secondly, this city doesn't technically belong to you." The stranger crossed his arms and cocked his head to a side. "Just because you protect it, the city is not automatically yours."

"And yes, I am a hero for all that matters." There was something in the way he pronounced the word _hero _that made the Titans feel uneasy, though they couldn't quite put their finger on it. "I help people. Unlike you, who didn't bother to move a muscle to come to my aids."

"Who knows whether you are on our side or not." Terra snapped angrily. This shrimp was getting on her nerves. "What would have happened if it turned out that we were helping the wrong guy?"

"You are so brainless that you can't even tell who the bad guy is here? Why don't I find that surprising?" He remarked sarcastically, which did nothing but put fuel to the fire.

"What is your name anyway? Maybe it could ring a bell to us?" Offered Starfire in a friendly way. _Just leave it all to her to put the fierce fire down._

"Robin." Came a blunt reply.

"Oh Robin, it's such a pleasure to meet you. I'm Starfire." The alien suddenly dashed forwards and embraced Robin in a bone - crushing hug. The other Titans couldn't help but notice how his body went stiff upon the impact. He didn't bother to hug her back, just stood there in an awkward manner. "Where are you from? What's your favorite color, food, TV shows? Do you want to be my friend? What can I do for you?"

_'What's with this girl?' _Robin warily thought. _'She doesn't know me yet she hugs me like a dear friend. She even seems to be completely oblivious to my rudeness.'_

It took Robin a few seconds to recompose himself.

"Just moved here. Don't have one. Dark chocolate. Don't have one either. No, thanks. Stop choking me."

The Titans were rather taken aback. Everyone, including Raven, couldn't resist her hospitality, her genuine smile, her friendly aura. This boy was one of the first to actually manage to brush her off so curtly.

Starfire seemed to be astonished herself. Her eyes flattered and she let go of Robin.

"If you say so."

"So what are you here for?" Cyborg was the one to break the silence, though his harsh voice wasn't really helping the matter.

Robin sighed and lifted his arm up to activate his project computer.

"Ma… Slade. He has been growing quite restless recently, causing a lot of troubles and all. If you don't know him, here's a summary of him - he is my arch enemy and the worst of human kind. Evidently, he has laid an eye on this city, these thugs are his underlings. What you see today is only a tip of the iceberg, I don't expect you morons to understand it, but Slade is going to strike soon. He is planning something big. I can't tell what, not yet, but I'm trying to figure out. That's why I moved to this city, along with him."

He showed them various images of Slade and his goons before shutting down his computer.

"So we just need to interrogate those thugs and extract information from them, right?" Cyborg asked, trying to ignore the fact that the midget dared to call him a 'moron'.

Robin face palmed and shook his head tiredly.

"No. What is with you and using your brain? Those thugs you see are actually robots. Slade wouldn't run the risk of having his information exposed. He's a mastermind for crying out loud."

"What is with you and being nice?" Beast Boy retorted. "You always seem to be talking dirty."

Robin snorted, he was about to fire back when Slade's smooth voice rang in his earpiece. '_Just ignore them and leave. Your mission today is done.'_

"Actually, I'm leaving here." Robin scowled. "Nothing here is of my concerns anymore."

"I don't hope to have the privilege to get help from mighty beings like you either." He stroke past them. "Just go back to your shiny tower and do whatever teenagers like to do."

"You talked as if you were not a teenager yourself."

Robin jerked his head around to give one last glance at the gothic, who had just made the remark. Her eyes were gleaming with... _sadness?! _ He didn't give a reply to her question, as he was sure that Raven knew the answer too well: He was a teenager technically, but mentally, he had reached adulthood far too long ago.

"Friend Robin. Please wait." Starfire snapped out of her daze and ran after Robin. She grasped his hand tightly, as if afraid to let go.

"If you don't mind, we would like to help you bring down this Slade villain. Can we?"

For the first time since their interaction, the Titans could see some emotions other than his disapproving scowl on Robin's facial expression. Shock was plain on Robin's face, he opened his mouth only to give a barely audible answer.

"Well... I suppose some help from you wouldn't kill. Working alone can be a tiresome job sometimes."

"Oh thank you, thank you very much friend Robin." Starfire threw herself to embrace him once again. But this time, Robin was prepared, he sidestepped her easily.

"No hugs" He grumbled, putting his hands up defensively.

Starfire didn't seem to mind about being sidestepped. She smiled sweetly and offered.

"Do you have anywhere to stay? You can come to the Tower to stay with us."

It was as if Starfire had detonated a deadly boom, for the Titans broke out in extreme protests.

"What? For the love of God, are you out of your mind Star? He is a stranger, you don't know him and he is insufferably rude." Beast Boy bellowed, clutching his face in terror.

Terra wailed as well. "No Star, please tell me you haven't lost your mind yet. Let him in our Tower? No way am I gonna do that."

Cyborg too, shook his head disapprovingly "No Star, no. Hero or not, he is not to be at our place."

Apparently, Raven was the only one who didn't voice her thought. She seemed to be far too disoriented to fully comprehend what Starfire had proposed.

"See? Your friends don't like me!" Robin stated matter - of - factly, he rubbed his wrist where Starfire had grasped him and slightly winced. "I won't be welcomed there."

"You can't judge a person by first impression right? I'm not judging you and I genuinely like you. I want to be your friend." Starfire locked her eyes with his and said, almost pleadingly.

Robin stared at Starfire in shock, his mouth agape. He couldn't possibly believe that this girl was actually proposing to be his friend. The look in her eyes told him that she was being truthful. For a few seconds, he felt like he was actually falling for her. Her emerald eyes were staring straight into his very soul. Robin turned his head away, feeling ashamed – he was deceiving them, he was deceiving HER. He tried to pull himself back together, knowing that Master Slade wouldn't be pleased, he must be monitoring him back at the Haunt.

Robin tried to level the complex and strange feelings that were arising in his chest. He drowned the seemingly overwhelming emotions in the darkness of his soul and was pleased to note that they were slowly getting dulled.

"I need no friends. Friends are only for the sentimental fools." Robin stated coldly and walked away, leaving a heartbroken princess behind. Calm and indifferent as he outwardly appeared to be, actually, Robin was mildly baffled with Starfire's behavior on the inside.

_'How could see have such faith in me when she knows next to nothing about me? How can that girl manage to have such undying joy, such undying faith? How could she possibly do that?'_

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><p>Starfire spent the next few days sitting on the rooftop and staring at the vast expanse of the bluish sky, thinking of Robin. She had yet to meet such a strange boy. She could sense that he was in dire need of a company. Of course she noticed that he was blunt and impolite, but she could feel the loneliness, the pain on his expressionless face. Starfire closed her eyes and thought of Robin, of how solitary he appeared to be. It hurt her to think how someone that young can have such a bitter attitude.<p>

Being the positive person as she was, Starfire was sure that he was just putting up a strong face and she could tear down his cold mask once she got to know him more.

Starfire couldn't explain it, but she genuinely like Robin. She really meant it when she said she wanted them to be friends. Her heart ached for him.

She knew that her friends didn't like Robin - they didn't bother to hide their distaste for him. Notwithstanding, she secretly made a vow to herself that one day, she would become his best friend, one day, she would make him smile.

And Starfire couldn't wait to see Robin's smile. She knew that it would be a beautiful one.

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><p>When Robin reached the Haunt, his Master had already been waiting for him. Slade was sitting on his throne, staring at the little boy with an almost bored expression. Robin kneeled down and bowled respectfully.<p>

"Master" He addressed Slade in his signature monotonous tone.

"You have done quite a good job" Slade stood up and started circling around his apprentice like a shark around its prey. "You have my praise."

"However," Upon hearing this, Robin's body tensed visibly, he went stiff, waiting for the inevitable blow. Slade slammed his fist at his head, knocking him down cold. "You are not supposed to be falling for your prey."

Robin shakily got up by his elbows, only to receive a harsh kick to his gut.

"Are you having pity for her? Are you feeling sorry that you're gonna finish her off? Are you becoming one of those pathetically sentimental scums?"

Slade continued to viciously kick his poor apprentice, sending him across the room. Robin felt the impact of his body colliding with the cold, hard wall. He had grown accustom to Slade's beatings, they weren't as bad as they used to be years ago. However, he could feel himself ache all over already. He must have broken a rib or two – Slade's kicks were always powerful, especially when he was wearing steel boots.

"M – Mas..Master" Robin breathed out heavily, spitting out the blood in his mouth.

"What? Do you have anything to say dear apprentice?" Robin winced slightly as he felt his hair harshly grasped by Master. He could feel the hot breath tickling at his neck.

"You ha… have my apology. I swear I won't fail this time." He gulped. A few moments passed and Slade released his grip.

"Good. Don't forget to fulfill your promise." Slade stomped his heavy feet on the small figure's head mercilessly.

"Remember. When the time comes, you will be the one to finish those Titans. Don't get too emotional with them. Like I have taught you, emotions are hindrance to the ultimate success. Now go and change your clothes. You have an one – hour break."

With that, Slade stroke out of the room, leaving a beaten, defeated Robin behind. He tiredly rolled on his back, facing the cold, emotionless ceiling.

'_What I am thinking? My mission is to exploit the Titans, use them and then terminate them. It's just another normal, typical mission. Why does it bother me so much?'_

Robin stared at his hands, the hands that had been stained with blood of countless people, innocent and guilty alike. His first kill was Tony Zucco, the one that was responsible for his parents' murder, for his being here with this horrid villain, for his becoming villain. Robin despised himself, what's the difference between him and the one he killed years ago now, really? He was disgusting, a filthy being.

Robin hated himself for the joy that went through him every single time he killed, every single time he committed crimes. He had truly become like Slade and to some extent, he was seeing the world in Slade's own twisted way.

For a split second, Robin wished that he could be with Starfire, the girl with such joyous manner, the girl who had made him feel warm after such a long time living in darkness.

But, as soon as the idea came, Robin diminished it, scowling at himself for being so emotional. Slade was right, after all what was the point in getting too involved with the people you were about to kill? He would be the one to finish those pathetic lives.

Robin silently made a vow to never fail his Master again. He would succeed; he would show the world how vulnerable the Titans truly are.

That night, when he fell asleep, all Robin could see was the image of himself sinking deeper and deeper into the blood of the Tamaranian princess, who was lying dead on the ground.

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><p><strong><em>AN: Uhmmm... review? _**


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